Harrowing time for City-bound AI fliers

Passengers were not given info about technical fault

Scores of Air India fliers headed for Bengaluru from here on Tuesday evening had a harrowing time for over six hours.

First it was the AI-808 Dreamliner aircraft which was to take off at 5.45 pm. As it taxied for take off, the aircraft developed technical problems.

The pilot then decided to abort the take off and took the plane to the bay.
However, the passengers were made to sit inside the aircraft and were not given information about the technical fault or the plans to accommodate them in another flight.

It was said that the aircraft’s air conditioning system was not working.

Only at around 8.30 pm, an announcement was made inside the plane that fliers could either take a separate flight to Bengaluru in the night itself or they could stay in Delhi for which arrangements would be made.

“At the runway, they detected a technical snag and the plane was turned back and the flight was delayed and dinner served at 7.30 pm,” one of the passengers told Deccan Herald.

There were more problems to come for those passengers who decided to take the alternative flight that the AI arranged. There was no sign of the Boeing-787for which the boarding was completed by around 9.30 pm.

Irate passengers
As there was no announcement when the plane will take off, irate passengers began arguing with the crew to give definite information as to when the plane will depart. Finally, the Bengaluru-bound plane took off at 11.15 pm.

The Air India spokesperson did not return a call when reached for the airline’s version of the incident.